New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-08
WILLIAM OBR1ENS FORK FOR IRELAND,
AN EDITOR WHO ENDUREs PERSECUTION AND I'M
..............sr IL. 81, ILL. q r-cI. LIZ nnrs

| AN EDITOR WHO ENDUREs PERSECUTION AND M
PRIsoNMENr FOR THE CAUSE HE LOVES.
| William 0'Bren, the Editor OF United Ireland"
who is expected to arrive here to-day on his way to
Canada to tell the people of the Dominion how Lord
| Landsdowne has been treating the tenantry on his
Queens County estates. Is next to Parnel perhaps,
| the most popular OF the Irish leaders His mpor-
lance may fairly be gagged by the efforts which the
English Government made to crush him, efforts ~hich
were not confined to prosecutions alone. but to I'M
| prisonment for prolonged term in Kilmainham jan.
Then they seized his newspaper This was about the
seyerest blow, but United Ireland survived it 81
ana the editorials more bitter If anything than
they were formerly
His arrest was ono of those tribes whose significance
is not seen at the time but which changes the whole
euro 1T of mans life. Ii certainly O'Bren a
| relentless enemy of Castle Government Enthusiastic
Irshmcn say he 10 the peer of John Mitchell as
writer and in saying this they mean 1t 10 be undei-
stood fully they understand it-as tremendous
concession which they Lavo never before been called
| upon TO make.
But there is withal great difference between the
two men, There is no question that they both natrd
English rule in Ireland. But where Mitchell was for
revolution. force, force all the time OBrien Is cad
tious and and the OF his prudence
and the extent OF his effort is found IN the Plan OF
| Campaign which has startled the landlords and
weIIlpigL 'crinnled ali the machinery which the
Government could bring to bear IN its efforts TO col
lect rackrents. AT one meeting. In the South OF
| Ireland be put the tersely when he said
OF coursc would fight for lreland's liberty in tie
| field. but what would fight with y
Mr. D Brien is native OF Mallow. His first expert
enco IN the new sphper line "a junior reporter on
| The Cork Examiner" the leading Catholic daily
! newspaper in the South Of Ireland lie began here
when not yet seventeen years old After little time
! hc was appointed rs local correspondent Tor The
Dublin Freeman's Journal tho leading irish daily
newspaper and at that time owned and edited by Sir
John Gray a Protestant. the father OF ITS present
! proprietor, Edmund Dryer Cray, who became a
| Catholic few wears ago At length O'Bren ven
tared TO the Irish metropolis and began reporting on
The Freeman" His opportunity wasn't long in
! coming The famine OF 1873 came Obrien was
dispatched to the bleak section IN the West OF Ire
land with instructions 10 write what he actually saw.
| In one letter he related v-it which he had made
TO poor farmer in Louisburg, on the west coast OF
! MAYO. The farmer was digging potatoes ON the
e" Thai are you DONG film. my boy g. asked the
correspondent in Jaunty but symJathetc tone.
"Wlat am dom, yer honor. Now, what wud be
doin I'd like to know =
digging potatoes Tim
" No, besor, sir rejoined Tim bot lookin for
em" This quaint aud simple res pOnse told more than
columns of how that particular staple OF agriculture
| had tailed OBrion was soon engaged by " Inc gree
man as a descriptive writer aud did good work
daring the State trials of Parne and his comrades in
| lS7e-sO The Land League now stepped in and pur-
chased The Dublin lrishman from Rohard P1gott
1t was the organ OF the physical force men, but was
changed to that ct United Ireland aud O'BIien was
placed in charge editor During the coercion act,
Mr. Forster arrested every one OF the employees ncnd
| ing OBrien. and sent them TO himaiDham Jail lie
suppressed the paper. Il continued TO DC printed IN
PARIS though, and was circulated IN Ireland unuI the
coercion act expired and thont resun ed publication
in Dublin On his release from Jail Mr.. O'Bren was
elycte9 to Parliament tor his native town OF Malow
defeating the Government nominee, Attorney Genera
Mash, n Catholic Wing Then he began in United
Ireland ard In Parliament an attack on Dublin
Castle. Tho crimes OF which high English officials
who nestled in that place were guilty OF he exposed
with the result that Gustayus e. Cornwall, the
secretary OF the General Post Office, and French. the
head vi the detectives. convicted and sent TO
iail for two years. Officers and doctors connected
with tho In sh garrison tho Royal Barracks lett
the city, and smaller officials also stole away
10 avoid arrest
After the franchise bill and the redistribution of
seats Mallow was abolished and OBrien was elected
TO represent South fyrOno-an Orange and Tory
strong hod. After the defeat OF tho Home Rule bill
aud the new general election be lost this seat by few
votes He has since remained out of Parliament con-
Quoting United Ireland " ami The Plan OF Cam
pRgn." ,
A meeting of the committee appointed to make final
arran gemeDts for the reception vi William D Bren
WAS held last evening In the Hoffman House, james
A. OGormau presiding. j. p Lynch, John }. Della
nov General James r. 0'Berne, Bryan q. MoSwyny
ex Senator James Fitzgerald, j. p. Ryan, Thomas
Kenealy Major John Dyrne, Patrick Gleason, Daniel
Connolly president Of the Home Rule Club and the
other members the committee present. The only
transacted the appointment OF subcommit-
tees to arrange Tor taking Mr.. OBrcn 20 the hotel tor
reading him headdresses and for preparing tor the
ss-meetiugi In the Cooper Union on ednesday
evening The committee and the hundreds whom they
have invited will be hand at Courtlandt-st at
o'clock this morning to go down the bay and meet the
Imbria